Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — College of Nursing, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences in Jeddah, held a two-day campaign to raise awareness on the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-Cov) at Red Sea Mall this weekend. The campaign aimed to increase the public's knowledge about the virus, transmission, symptom, and prevention. Sixty-nine students of the college of nursing participated in the campaign, putting up three main booths — one giving general information about MERS-Cov, one showing visitors the right way to wash hands and the third giving information on camels as the possible cause for the spread of the virus. Students taught the public the correct way of hand washing and how it is an important preventive step against the virus. They also gave visitors hand sanitizers as gifts. Dr. Hawazen Rawas, assistant professor of medical and surgical nursing who was the campaign supervisor. said: "This coronavirus campaign is mainly to raise awareness among different segments of society, through giving general information about transmission of the virus and the right way to wash hands as a preventive safety measure. There is a third booth on camels where students explain how there is no specific study to prove the relation between the coronavirus and camels." There was also a dedicated corner for children to learn about the disease via coloring. Student Rawan Qashqary said: "The main goal of the campaign was to raise awareness in the community. Today with my colleagues we teach children how to wash their hands in the right way by offering them coloring and games." Coronaviruses are a large group of RNA viruses that cause a variety of diseases in humans and other animals from common cold to acute respiratory syndrome. The strain of coronavirus, which causes MERS, is a novel virus to humans. The available information related to the disease, its signs, modes of transmission and even the source of infection is still very limited. Up till now, there is no treatment or vaccine, yet supportive medical care is provided to help relieve the acute symptoms and to control complications. The main symptoms are cough, fever, shortness of breath and pneumonia and in some severe cases vomiting and diarrhea are detected. The coronavirus is transmitted like other flu viruses by direct contact with the patients and from droplets while patient is coughing or sneezing.
